The Dead End
by Gillette-x
Summary: "A man wasn't afraid of death, until he had something to lose." Three-shot in which Sky decides to go on another suicide mission. But this time, he has a woman waiting for his return. Crap, don't know what happened to the title, it doesn't even match the story. SkyxZ-in progress. Rated T for possible later chapters (rating may change)
1. Something to lose

**Sky**

**Something to lose**

Sky knew what sacrifice meant. Since the day his father died in duty. It wasn't the first time he sacrificed himself, and he was aware that this time he might not be as lucky as last time. This time there would be no Jack having his back. And it was fine that way, the Shadow Ranger wasn't supposed to fear death.

"We need to close the energy field before it explodes and destroys the whole city."

"We cannot close it." Z mentioned. "It's already too powerful and if we get any closer we'll be roasted in one second."

"Not if we are fast enough." Sky commented.

"It's suicide." Syd hissed.

"It's the only way."

"Wait… it would just take one shot from a very powerful gun to damage the source of energy and destroy it." Bridge added.

"Yet, we have to be close enough to be able to aim at the source. And no one can get closer than one kilometer." Z said.

"Do we have another option?" Syd shouted at the border of desperation.

"Yes, we let it explode." A cutting silence fell over the team. They had to make a decision now; there was no one else available to make it for them.

"We are rangers." Sky said breaking the silence. "If we have to die for the sake of the people, we die." He looked at the rest of the squad and they nodded, determined. "Bridge, you'll take the de-atomizer and destroy the source of energy. I thrust now that you are red ranger, that your target abilities have improved."

"They have, sir… I mean, Sky, I mean…"

"Syd and Z, you will activate the curfew and make sure every corner in the city is properly evacuated. In case things go wrong… we need to save as many people as we can."

"Yes, sir!"

"Take the helicopter; we'll open the tunnels underground."

"Yes, sir!" This time only Syd answered.

"What about you?" Z's question caused an awkward silence to fill the already thick atmosphere. They all knew the answer to that question.

"Bridge needs a distraction if he wants to approach the center of the facility unharmed. A magnet for the radiation rays"

"You mean you'll be the cannon fodder?"

"We have no other choice." Z opened her mouth to complain, but Sky cut her. "End of discussion, Cadet Delgado."

Syd and Bridge gulped. They knew better not to try changing Sky's mind, both knew it was impossible. Sky was the Shadow Ranger and one of the fastest drivers anyway, if someone had a chance of evading the mortal strikes of radiation rays and surviving this mission it was him.

"Get ready, rangers."

"Yes, sir!"

**.o.O.0.O.o.**

_ "Shuyler Tate…" the sound of her laugh clanged in his ears and he shot her a look._

_"Stop laughing at my name."_

_"It's funny! Oh, no one would like to be called like that! Sky sounds a lot cooler, doesn't it?"_

_"What about you, Elizabeth Delgado?" this time it was her who shot him a look._

_"Don't call me like that, Shuyler."_

_"Why not, Elizabeth?"_

_"Very funny, Shuyler."_

_"It is, isn't it? Elizabeth?"_

_"Shuyler…"_

_"Elizabeth."_

_"Sydney!" the blond shouted as she came into the common-room, followed by the blue and green rangers._

_"Sophie!" the green ranger followed._

_"Bridge… Why are we saying our names? Is this some kind of name memorization? Because I thought we already knew our names since we were born… well, maybe not since we were born, but since we have the gift of memory or maybe…"_

_"Bridge, shut up!" they all shouted._

_"Anyway, what's going on here?"_

_"Elizabeth was laughing at my name."_

_"And Shuyler is a little kid who can't take a joke."_

_"Now that's what I call a nice make out session." Syd commented with a wicked grin. Sky and Z blushed furiously and Z started to shout at her blonde best friend, while the red ranger just buried himself inside the SPD Regulation Handbook, waiting the heat of his face would go away._

_"Dios me libre de ti, Syd, you are talking nonsense! I always knew all those blond locks were suffocating your head!"_

_From the corner of his eye, Sky looked how the morena exited the room in the middle of the laughter of her teammates. "Though it wouldn't be that bad if we had the chance to make out sometime... crap, what's wrong with you, Tate? Maybe those toxic fumes from the nuclear facility in the last mission really affected your head." Sky forced the thought out of his mind and tried to foccus on reading. But for some strange reason he couldn't shake free of Z's image for the rest of the day._

**.o.O.0.O.o.**

Bridge gulped hard as Sky finished charging the de-atomizer and handed it to him. The Shadow Ranger looked at his best friend and for a moment his stone-cold expression changed as he saw certain vulnerability in his eyes. He squeezed his shoulder.

"Ten more minutes, Carson. I suggest you go say goodbye to Sophie… just in case."

"I already did. Now I would like to wish my best friend good luck…" Bridge seemed to be at the border of tears. Sky held his shoulder until he composed again. "Good luck, Sky."

"Good luck to you too." Sky and Bridge turned as they saw the girls walk into the weapon room.

"Guys…" Syd went to them and hugged them. "You better come back alive, or I'll haunt you in hell."

"Since when are you threatening us?"

"She's spent too much time with Jack, I think." They all shared a sad laugh. It worked to ease everybody's nerves for a second. Still, the tension was growing in the little room. Syd grabbed Bridge's shoulder and nodded softly. Bridge turned to the two other rangers.

"We'll be… waiting in the platform." He said and they both exited the room.

Once they were alone, Z made a move to approach the Shadow Ranger and hug him. It was short-lived, a friendly, yet cold hug. Sky didn't dare look at her. He knew he should, for this was maybe the last time he'd ever see her again. Yet, the thought of it just made his heart pound in fear. He wasn't supposed to fear death, and he never had, not until he had something to lose. He didn't want to have it.

"I want to go with you." She said after a few seconds.

"That's out of the question." Sky simply said.

"No, it's not. If two of us go than maybe…"

"I won't hear more."

"Sky…" he looked into her almond eyes and his heart pounded painfully in his chest. She sighed. "Fine." She made her way out of the weapon room.

"Z… wait." The soft hold of her arm made her turn around and approach him until she was only centimeters away from his body.

"If you have something to say, Shuyler Tate, than you better say it right now."

Sky froze from her sudden closeness, and a battle started to build itself inside his brain. He had always been a calculator, known for thinking before feeling, it was what had kept him alive, what had made him the Shadow Ranger. Yet right now it was different. It was… her.

He knew what he felt for her. He wasn't sure of when it started; maybe it had always been there, ever since they met. He had gotten to know her, like he had gotten to know Jack. But his feelings with her were completely different and he guessed, it was the same with her. Now they both danced around each other; fighting, waiting, playing that dangerous game of courting that seemed to have no end. He didn't know what it was that attracted him so madly to her. Maybe it was her everlasting internal force, maybe her annoying will or her playful temper. Maybe it was the way she had of lightening the mood of every single individual she wanted to approach, maybe it was the way she helped and took care of everyone who needed her. Maybe it was the strange way she had to enlighten his soul in the most blissful flashes of joy. The way she never gave up on making him smile.

She was like the sun for him, warming up his cold being. And as much as he wanted her to always be by his side he also knew that it implied something terrible. Something he wasn't sure he could cope; His fear of death, which was always nonexistent for a man, until he realized he had something to lose. He had something to lose, he could lose her.

The tiny alarm in his clock made them both jump; perhaps she had been lost in her thoughts too, missing such an important moment of what might have been their last moment together. Sky let go of her arm and took out his morpher.

"It's time." He said. Z sighed again and nodded. But this time, when Sky tried to make his way out of the weapon room, it was her who took him by the arm. He turned around not too keenly, for they had little to no time to talk, but in that moment her lips clashed against his and he lost all thought of time, of the mission, of everything that wasn't her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her closed to him. The kiss was also short lived, for they had no time to get lost in each other. Sky buried his head in her hair as she hugged him vehemently.

"We shouldn't have done that." He said.

"I'd rather have you die knowing that I kissed you at least once in my life." That was a good point. That was the hell of a good point. And suddenly Sky wasn't as afraid of death as he had been earlier.


	2. Before it's too late

**Z**

**Before it's too late**

Z wasn't the kind of person who wasted an opportunity. In fact, she had always been known for acting before thinking, and yes, it was one of her biggest weaknesses to approach things before they could be settled as good or bad for her. If you have something to say, you better say it before its too late, than you can deal with the consequences.

"Attention citizens of New Tech City, this is not a simulation. Everyone report to the nearest Evacuation Cabin. I repeat this is not a simulation." Z could see people running out of their houses following the path of the electric arrows in the middle of the haste. She briefly wondered if Jack and Ally were already in the safe evacuation zone. Then her worries travelled again to Sky and Bridge.

"Z, focus, please." She snapped out of her thoughts and turned to her companion.

"What?" Syd was looking at her with worry.

"Are you all right?" she screamed so that her voice could be heard among the shuffling of the air around them. Z turned to the flying monitor trying to ignore her question.

"Fine." She said in a calm tone.

"I don't believe you."

"What?"

"Did you tell him?"

"Tell who what?" Syd just rolled her eyes and settled next to her, grabbing the microphone again.

"Attention citizens of New Tech City, this is not a simulation…"

**.o.O.0.O.o.**

_"Sky!" the man with the commander suit turned to see his friends approach him with smiles bigger than Texas._

_"Look at the new shadow ranger!" Syd said joyful._

_"I'm your new commander, Cadet Drew, so remain in position."_

_"Oh, come on, you are not half as frightening as the big blue dog!" her comment made his cheeks burn with embarrassment and Z had to bite her lip in order not to burst in laughter in front of him. Syd always found the way of embarrassing him; she knew which point to press in order to unleash his emotions. Z didn't know why it made her feel so jealous._

_"So, how is everything going without me?" Sky asked._

_"Oh, fine. Though Bridge hasn't quite gotten over your departure, he fell into this drug-state again…" Syd said dramatically._

_"Which drug-state?!" Sky asked scandalized by the idea._

_"Buttery toast overdose." Z finished and both girls burst in laughter at the shadow ranger's priceless expression. Sky's cheeks were tomato-red again._

_"Very funny."_

_"Oh, you should have seen your face!" Syd took a step backwards. "Well, guys, I've got to go, see you later." As Syd turned down the corner, Z shook her head and looked at their new commander with a grin._

_"So, how's the new position going?" Sky scratched the back of his neck and looked away._

_"I've… got a lot of paperwork" She laughed._

_"So, that's the reason why Krugger was always in a bad mood." She said, hoping all-by-the-rules Sky wouldn't lecture her about responsibility and duty. He didn't, which surprised her. "You know we'll… we'll miss you… a lot."_

_"I'm sure Bridge shall fill my absence. And since there hasn't been any offs and goes with this team, I'm sure you'll… work it out better than when Jack left." she nodded, not too pleased by the path the conversation was taking._

_"I'll… miss you." Oh, god, she said it. She had been thinking aloud. It wasn't like she didn't want him to know she had missed him, but it just sounded… awkward… like there was something else going on there._

_"Oh…" was the only thing he said, as realization struck him. Z lowered her gaze and let the awkward silence fill the atmosphere. "Well, it's not like… you won't see me anymore, you know? I'll always be here. And I might come to visit you guys sometime."_

_"Right." she said, trying to recover herself so that she didn't look that dumb. "Of course you will." Another moment of awkward silence, and then Kat's voice was heard trough the speaker._

_"Commander Tate, report to the Command Center immediately." It made them both jump._

_"We've got to… yeah… bye." They both said at the same time, before turning in whichever direction helped them to run away. As Sky was heading down the hall, he turned around one last, time, still scratching the back of his neck._

_"Cadet Delgado…" Z turned to face him one last time. "I'll miss you too." Sky smiled awkwardly at her before leaving. Z stayed there, frozen, for almost a minute, before realizing how stupid she looked and heading down the hall to the common room. As she turned the corner, she found Syd, hidden behind the wall, looking at her in disbelief._

_"That was so close! Why didn't you just do it?"_

_"Do what?" Z pretended ignorance. "Have you been hidden here spying on us all this time?"_

_"Come on, I wouldn't call it spying, especially cause NOTHING HAPPENED!"_

_"What did you expect to happen?"_

_"I think you know! "I'll miss you"; what kind of love-declaration is that?"_

_"I'm not in love with him!"_

_"Yeah, right." Z tried to ignore her blonde friend by walking past her. Sadly, that strategy never worked with Syd. "What shall it take for you two to accept your feelings for each other?"_

_"A suicide mission." Z snorted, before realizing that she had said it aloud, again._

**.o.O.0.O.o.**

"Well, you wanted to wait till his second attempt of suicide, now you've got it. So, did you tell him or not?" Z turned to Syd ready to punch her pretty face. The last thing she needed right now was a blonde princess pushing her into admitting what she had done earlier with Sky before he went downtown to kill himself.

"I don't know what you are talking about. And please! Can you let me be, for just one second?"

"You are impossible!" Sydney roared before walking into the Command Center. The scene folding in there was another drama. Sophie and Boom were having a heated argument, and by the look of Sophie's face, she was at the border of tears.

"It can't be fixed, Sophie, I… I'm sorry, we already tried everything…"

"Well you didn't try hard enough; I'll go into the system myself."

"No, you'll be dead in one second!"

"What's going on here?" Z asked.

"We lost connection with Tate and Carson! I… I lost connection!"

"It wasn't your fault, Sophie." Boom said, trying to soothe her desperation.

"Yes it was! I should have gone with them! Bridge could be already…!" Sophie turned around just to bump into Syd's already open arms. Syd hugged her tightly before looking at Boom.

"How did it happen?"

"Interference, we should have predicted this, the energy field is too strong to allow communication waves to pass through it." Boom spoke quickly. "We are trying to fix the system, but there's no use, not even Rick can pass the damage field, he'll get roasted in one second. Sophie wanted to try, but she'll run the same fate if she does."

"Why can't Rick and Sophie pass the damage field?" Z asked.

"Cause they are made of metal and electric circuits."

"So, the only way of getting to Sky and Bridge unharmed is if we are human."

"And if we are not using a power suit, which in any case is the most reckless, stupid thing we could do."

"Reckless, stupid things are my specialty." Z mumbled under her breath. "I'll go."

"What?!" they all said aloud.

"Wait a second! Z!" Syd stopped the latina, who was about to exit the room. "This is beyond stupid! You can't go in there unprotected, radiation will kill you!" A discussion might have taken place right there and then, if it hadn't been for Boom letting out the most weird, panicked scream of them all.

"Girls!"

"What?!" As the three of them turned to the monitor, which had now become clear, of Rick's vision two kilometers away from the nuclear facility, the vision of a giant implosion shook the whole command center, and as they presumed, the whole city, into gasps and screams of shock. The implosion caused a massive earthquake to shake momentarily all of New Tech City, knocking everyone to the floor and cutting the power in the whole building. Suddenly, Rick's transmission was lost and the whole room was pitched into darkness.

When you face the cutting edge, waiting to find out in any second that a person you love may never come back to you, it all resumes to the things you did; and to the things you didn't do and you should have done before it was too late. You realize that if fate was generous and gave you a second chance, you would do them, without a second thought. Without stopping to let your fears take control of the situation.

It was ironic now that she thought about it. She had never been a person who wasted an opportunity. At least that was what she had thought all her life. And yet, here she was, waiting in silence and pain to get the news that Sky might never return to her. And now she stupidly realized she needed more than a kiss from him to be happy, she needed a life by his side.

A mortal silence flooded trough the atmosphere as the emergency lights were restored. As they helped each other get back to their feet, they looked at the monitor, waiting for the static to transmit an image of whatever had happened. The explosion had been stopped, that was for sure, yet, the fate of their commander and red ranger…

"Mission succeeded." Sky's shaky voice was heard trough the monitor and suddenly the image of Bridge, the Shadow Ranger and a mechanic dog appeared on the screen. They were alive.

"Bridge!"

"Sky!"

"Rick, Thank God!" they all turned to Syd, who looked back at them.

"What?! I love that dog, Ok?" they all burst into a nervous laughter, which was followed by hoorays and hugs everywhere.

"You did it guys! Come back to the command center, I'm so happy!" Syd said through the monitor, a giant smile on her lips.

Z sighed in relief and after the shock of the first moment, she realized she didn't need another suicide mission to set her priorities anymore.

* * *

_**A/N:** Sorry! for taking so long... I was in a problem with redactating this chapter and couldn't find the way of putting my ideas in order. Also, the internet didn't allow me to publish anything, which was sooo frustrating! anyways, another chapter and I know redaction is crap and full of mistakes... I plan on revising this story once I'm done with it, so don't worry, I'll fix them._

_One last chapter to come! Wait for it! This story is on it's climax... literally XD_

_One question... would you mind if I added **M-rating** content? Should I do it, should I not? Answer meeee!_


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